In Indiana's season opening win over SIUE on Wednesday night, the Hoosiers flashed their scoring potential. Even still, an underlying question went unanswered.
Throughout the offseason, those within the program have spoken at great lengths about the team's desire to push the tempo and player faster offensively this season. However, albeit just one game into the season, the Hoosiers are still searching for their identity on offense.
Despite the 19-point victory, head coach Mike Woodson's squad appeared disjointed and inconsistent at times on offense. For much of the game, Indiana looked like a team still waiting to define its offensive rhythm and reliability.
"I don't know, still searching," Woodson responded postgame when asked what his team's identity on the offensive end of the floor is. "I do know we can score the basketball."
One thing is clear, the Hoosiers have options. The talent is apparent, and the depth gives the team plenty of flexibility. On Wednesday night against the Cougars, that talent and depth didn't coalesce into a cohesive strategy.
Indiana's front court tandem of Malik Reneau and Oumar Ballo combined for 30 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field, but the Hoosiers only outscored the Cougars in the paint by four points. Despite a significant size advantage, Indiana failed to establish its interior dominance on the offensive end of the floor.
The Hoosiers showed a slight bit of promise from beyond the arc, converting on 6-of-16 (37.5%) shots from distance. The percentage was there for Indiana, yet the volume still wasn't. That left Indiana's offense hanging somewhere between trying to assert itself in the painted area and looking to build a lead through the 3-point shot.
Throughout the night, the Hoosiers didn't fully commit to either offensive approach.
"I thought we came out with great intentions. The ball moved early. We just got stale from an offensive standpoint in terms of moving the ball, making the extra pass," Woodson said. "The ball just wasn't moving. Our bodies weren't moving."
Pace of play was perhaps the biggest focal point going into the season for Indiana. Woodson emphasized the need and the desire to play a faster style in the offseason, but Indiana's performance in the season opener showed just how elusive that aspiration can be.
"We were stagnant early on and throughout the game. We needed to move in a pace that we've been doing in practice and stuff," guard Trey Galloway said. "I think our pace was good towards the end of the game. We got to have that pace for all 40 minutes on offense."
When the Hoosiers managed to reach that desired pace, they often appeared to be playing too fast, resulting in 16 turnovers on the night. The speed looked more rushed than refined, leading to an appearance of disorganization.
In flashes, however, Indiana's scoring potential was on display. Forward Mackenzie Mgbako poured in 31 points on 13-of-17 shooting from the floor, reminding fans that this team isn't short on scoring options. On any given night, a handful of different players can go for 25-plus points.
"There's so many guys that can do so many things," Galloway said. "It's going to be a lot of guys' nights. We're going to have to sacrifice that all season. I mean, if one guy is really playing well, we got to be unselfish and find them."
Relying on individual scoring bursts isn't the same as having a defined offensive identity. The promise of Indiana's deep roster is enticing, but without consistency or a structured approach, the team risks relying too heavily on who happens to have the hot hand that night.
"This is only our third game together," Galloway emphasized. "I think continuing to get better in practice and trusting in each other and keep building that trust within each guy, it's going to help us."
Time will help, but the urgency to find an identity is apparent. The non-conference schedule might give Indiana a window to work through some of these issues, but as Galloway noted following the game, the season moves fast.
For now, Indiana's offensive identity remains unclear. If the Hoosiers' hope is to make some noise in a competitive Big Ten, and work their way back to the NCAA Tournament, pinpointing a style on the offensive end of the floor is crucial.
Indiana has the pieces to be a potent offense. Wednesday night showed that a powerful collection of talent doesn't automatically translate to effective basketball. The Hoosiers will have to find out who they are sooner rather than later because Indiana's identity crisis can't become a lingering problem.
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